Immersion, Not Submersion, Vol III: Can a New Strategy for Teaching English Outperform Old Excuses? Lessons from Eight California School Districts

Date:

November, 2006

Author:

David White

Think Tank:

Lexington Institute

Think Tank Review:

Date:

December 14, 2006

Reviewers:

Jeff MacSwan

Institution:

Arizona State University

A new report from the Lexington Institute, Immersion Not Submersion, Vol. III, concludes that an emphasis on English-only teaching methods mandated by Proposition 227 is responsible for notable improvements among California’s English Language Learners, and that these methods can even overcome the effects of poverty, larger class sizes, and lower per-pupil funding. This review finds these claims to be without merit. The Lexington Institute’s report suffers from poorly sampled data, inaccurate descriptions of district-level policies, failure to account for alternative explanations for observed changes in district testing data, and lack of any serious analysis of the data presented. The report also fails to acknowledge or address recently published research studies whose conclusions are dramatically different from those presented in the report. The report is not useful for guiding educational policy or practice.

Getting Farther Ahead by Staying Behind: A Second-Year Evaluation of Florida's Policy to End Social Promotion

Date:

September 13, 2006

Author:

Jay Greene and Marcus Winters

Think Tank:

Manhattan Institute

Think Tank Review:

Date:

October 10, 2006

Reviewer:

Derek Briggs

Institution:

University of Colorado

The report reviewed here concludes that Florida's recently instituted policy of test-based retention has helped academically struggling elementary school students improve their reading. According to the review, the report overstates the effect of retention on student achievement.

Segregation Levels in Cleveland Public Schools and the Cleveland Voucher Program

Date:

August 31, 2006

Author:

Greg Forster

Think Tank:

Friedman Foundation and Buckeye Institute

Think Tank Review:

Date:

October 5, 2006

Reviewer:

Gary Ritter

Institution:

University of Arkansas

The report reviewed here finds that private schools in Cleveland are less segregated than the city’s public schools. According to the review, this finding is important, but it says little about whether voucher programs would increase or decrease segregation.

This report claims that private schools outperform public schools.
According to a review by the Think Tank Review Project, the report applied inappropriate models to account for the demographic
differences between students.

This report claims that
charter schools in the "Big Eight" urban school districts in Ohio are producing greater achievement gains,
increasing revenues in the traditional public schools of these districts, and are operating at lower
costs.

Assessing Proposals for Preschool and Kindergarten: Essential Information for Parents, Taxpayers and Policymakers

Date:

May 12, 2006

Authors:

Darcy Olsen and Lisa Snell

Think Tank:

Reason Foundation

Think Tank Review:

Date:

May 31, 2006

Reviewer:

W. Steven Barnett

Institution:

Rutgers University

This report reviews studies and accounts of
early childhood programs and presents an argument against universal pre-school and all-day kindergarten programs.
The report concludes that public investment in preschool education programs is unnecessary, and that preschool
programs and full-day kindergarten do not have lasting educational effects on children.

The report surveyed charter school authorizers to explore how they
rated on factors that the report's authors considered important. The
report concludes that authorizers base their decisions to renew on student
achievement, that authorizers have become more careful over time in
authorizing charters, and that two authorizer types, nonprofits and
independent chartering boards, do a better job of authorizing.

Getting Ahead by Staying Behind: An Evaluation of Florida's Program to End Social Promotion

Date:

February 2006

Authors:

Jay P. Greene and Marcus A. Winters

Think Tank:

Hoover Institution and Manhattan Institute for Policy Research

Think Tank Review:

Date:

February 23, 2006

Reviewer:

Ed Wiley

Institution:

University of Colorado

This Education Next article summarizes the
Manhattan Institute's original study, An Evaluation of
Florida's Program to End Social Promotion, which was released in December 2004. The study examines Florida's program
to end social promotion. The authors analyze the test scores of two third-grade cohorts over the period of one year.
The authors conclude that there are substantial positive effects associated with retention in this
program.

Spreading Freedom and Saving Money: The Fiscal Impact of the D.C. Voucher Program

Date:

January 31, 2006

Authors:

Leon Michos and Susan Aud

Think Tank:

Cato Institute and Friedman Foundation

Think Tank Review:

Date:

February 20, 2006

Reviewer:

Christopher Lubienski

Institution:

University of Illinois

This report evaluates the impact of the
District of Columbia Public Schools' voucher program after its first year and its impact on educational spending.
The report examines whether the plan has saved DC and its school district any money.

The State of High School Education in Wisconsin: A Tale of Two Wisconsins

Date:

January 25, 2006

Author:

Philip J. McDade

Think Tank:

Wisconsin Policy Research Institute

Think Tank Review:

Date:

February 17, 2006

Reviewer:

William J. Mathis

Institution:

University of Vermont

This report documents "Two Wisconsins"
separated by wealth. It concludes the difference in test scores between rich and poor is not attributable
to school funding. To close the achievement gap, the author recommends that school districts require
students to take more rigorous courses.